Many of the first settlers were veterans of
the Revolutionary War, but no complete list of them is in existence.
A few old pension papers are on file at the Court House, and the
declarations in them are given a place here:

WILLIAM CLARKE declared October 16, 1820, that
he served in the Revolutionary War as follows: In the First
Virginia state regiment of artillery three years; was in a battle
against the British at Hampton, the regiment commanded by ThomasMarshall; was in North Carolina when Colonel
Bluford was defeated.

THOMAS CRAIG declared October 17, 1820, that
he served in the Revolutionary War as follows: In the First
regiment, under Colonel Rollins, Second company, commanded by
Captain Richard Davis, of the Maryland line, and that he has
received a pension and that the certificate is No. 10780; that he
enlisted in the year 1776, and was taken prisoner at Fort
Washington, and was not discharged till 1784.

WILLIAM DARBY declared June 26, 1821, that he
served in the Revolutionary War as follows: That he served as
drummer in Captain Davis' company until he, Captain Davis,
was killed; then in Captain Carbery's company, that
Colonel Hoobly commanded; when he was discharged he belonged to
General Wagner's division, and that he served five years and
ten months during the Revolutionary War in the Pennsylvania line on
Continental establishment.

JAMES DAWSON declared October 6, 1820, that he
served three years and seven months in the Thirteenth Virginia
regiment of regulars, and was in battle against the Indians at the
town of Coshocton, on the Muskingum river, in the state of Ohio;
also in battle against the Indians at the mouth of White Woman's
Creek; also in battle on Big Beaver, and many others. He has
many descendants in the county.

JOHN EXLINE declared May 19, 1825, that he
served as a private soldier in the Revolutionary War, in the
Virginia Continental line, for the term of eighteen months; that he
was enlisted in Hampshire county, Virginia, in the year 1781, by
CaptainThomasWaiman, in whose company he served
until after the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, at which
he was engaged as a besieger in said company. After the
surrender to Washington by Cornwallis, at Yorktown, this
deponent and the company, with a detachment of about 800, he thinks,
moved off and pressed on to Cumberland Court House, where they
remained during the winter succeeding said surrender. In the
spring they were marched to Savannah, in Georgia, or near the same,
at a place called Widow Givens. He was marched to
Georgia in a company commanded by CaptainBeverly
Roy, the whole detachment under Colonel Posey; a stop for a time
at a place called Eleenegantown, after which he came to Charleston,
South Carolina, where he remained until he was marched to Cumberland
Court House, again, when at the expiration of his eighteen months he
received an honorable discharge under Gen. Charles
Scott, and ColonelPosey. The discharge was
signed by said Scott. He states he does not now remember the
number of the company and the regiment, but believes the Colonel's
name was Gist.

HENRY HUGHES declared June 26, 1821, that he
enlisted in the year 1779 for eighteen months, in a company
commanded by Captain John Andrews, which said company
belonged to a regiment commanded by Colonel Hawes of the
North Carolina line, on the Continental establishment; was in the
battles of Guilford Court House, Camden, Eutaw Springs, and in
several other skirmishes; was wounded at the battle of Camden, and
that he was discharged from the service in the year 1781, by
Major Snead, at Salisbury, North Carolina. A grandson of
this man now lives in Franklin township.

JAMES HULSEdeclared June 26, 1821,
that he served in the Revolutionary War in the Virginia Continental
line, for the term of three years, for which he received a bounty in
land from that state; that he enlisted at Shepherdstown, Virginia,
in the company commanded by Captain Abraham
Shepherd, and served under him in the Twelfth Virginia regiment.

SETH LARRABEE declared June 29, 1821, that he
served in the Revolutionary War as follows, to-wit: That he
was enlisted for three years at Windham, in the state of
Connecticut, on or about the month of January, 1777, under
Captain Nino Elderkin, belonging to a regiment commanded by
Colonel Herman Swift, and that he continued to serve in said
company in the service of the United States in the Continental army,
against the common enemy, until about January, 1780, when he was
honorably discharged at Morristown, New Jersey, about the month of
December, in the year 1781. He was again enlisted at the town
of Windham, in the state of Connecticut for three years under
Captain Joseph Throng, belonging to ColonelThomasSwift's regiment. He continued in said regiment to
serve against the common enemy for the term of three years, when he
was honorably discharged at West Point. He served in the whole
six years on Continental establishment against the common enemy; was
in the battles of Germantown and Monmouth.

THOMAS OLIVER - The last survivor of this band
of heroes was Thomas Oliver, whose remains lie buried in Mt.
Zion Cemetery. The people of Jackson held a celebration July
4th, 1843 and two old veterans were brought to town and placed on
the state during the exercises. They were James Dawson
and Thomas Oliver. The latter lived until February 23,
1844, and was 80 years old at the time of his death. His son
by his second wife, Hiram Oliver, has furnished us with the
following data concerning hem: "My father, Thomas Oliver,
was a native of Maryland. He was born May 10, 1763, on the
western shore of Chesapeake Bay. His father died when he was
14 years old, and he then went to live with his Uncle David
Loffland in Loudon county, Virginia. He remained with him
about three years, when he enlisted in the Revolutionary army.
He joined the Sixth Virginia regiment, commanded by Colonel
Muhlenberg. This was in 1779. He enlisted for seven
years, or for the war, and when the war was ended he was discharged,
having served three years and seven months. For this service
he was pensioned in 1834, getting a pension of $80 a year. He
was married three times. His first wife was Sarah
Edwards, daughter of Joseph Edwards, A Welshman.
This marriage occurred when he was 27 years of age. Eight
children were born to them, all of whom grew to maturity. They
were William Thomas, Charles, Wesley, Nancy, Rebecca, Elizabeth
and Sarah His wife died in Mason county, Virginia.
In 1816 he came to Ohio and settled on Symmes creek, in this county,
leasing a part of the school land.

GEORGE WHALEYdeclared Jan. 27, 1821,
that he was enlisted for one year at Lewisburg, Greenbrier county,
Virginia, on or about the 15th day of November, 1776, and served in
the company of Captain Matthew Arbuckle of the Twelfth
regiment of Virginia, and that he continued to serve in said company
in the service of the United Staes, in the Continental army, against
the common enemy until about the 15th day of November, 1777.
He was again enlisted at Lewisburg in state and county aforesaid, in
the company of Captain Matthew Arbuckle of the Twelfth
regiment of Virginia, commanded by Colonel John Newel of
General Hand's brigade; that he continued to serve in said
corps, or in the service of the United States, in the Continental
army, against the common enemy, until about the 15th day of
November, 1779, when he was honorably discharged at Fort Randall, at
the mouth of Big Kanawha, and that he was in service three years in
the whole time. Was at Fort Randall when attacked by the
Indians in 1778.